Vehicle Fuel Filler System Seal

ABSTRACT

A fuel door assembly for a motor vehicle is provided. The fuel door assembly includes a housing, a fuel door and a door seal. The fuel door is hingedly supported by the housing for rotation between an open position and a closed position. The door seal includes a proximal edge supported by the housing and a distal edge separated from the housing. The door seal has an arcuate shape extending from the proximal edge to the distal edge when the fuel door is in the open position.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to fuel door assembly used in a motorvehicle, and more particularly to a seal configuration used on the fueldoor assembly.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the presentdisclosure and is not necessarily prior art.

Automobiles and other vehicles include fuel systems having a fuel tank,a fuel inlet, and fuel door assembly. The fuel door assembly can bemounted to the body of the vehicle and used to provide access to thefuel tank through the fuel inlet. The fuel door assembly can alsoprevent water and other contaminants from reaching or otherwisecontaminating the fuel in the fuel tank or other portions of the fuelsystem. In this regard, fuel door assemblies often include a fuel doorand a sealing mechanism to prevent contaminants from reaching the fuelinlet and/or the fuel tank when the fuel door is in a closed position.

While known fuel door assemblies have generally proven to be acceptablefor their intended purposes, a continuous need for improvement in therelevant art remains.

SUMMARY

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not acomprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present disclosure, a fuel doorassembly for a motor vehicle is provided. The fuel door assembly mayinclude a housing, a fuel door and a door seal. The fuel door may behingedly supported by the housing for rotation between an open positionand a closed position. The door seal may include a proximal edgesupported by the housing and a distal edge separated from the housing.The door seal has an arcuate shape extending from the proximal edge tothe distal edge when the fuel door is in the open position.

In some configurations, the door seal may include a convex surfacefacing the fuel door when the fuel door is in the open position.

In some configurations, the convex surface may be operable to engage aninner surface of the fuel door when the fuel door is in the closedposition.

In some configurations, the housing may include an outer wall, a distalend, and a chamfered surface extending from and between the outer walland the distal end. The proximal edge of the door seal may be coupled tothe chamfered surface of the housing.

In some configurations, a normal to the chamfered surface may define anangle with the inner surface of the fuel door when the fuel door is in aclosed position.

In some configurations, the angle may be between ten degrees and eightydegrees.

In some configurations, the angle may be substantially equal toforty-five degrees.

In some configurations, the housing may include a radially-extendingflange portion.

In some configurations, the fuel door assembly may include a body sealsupported by the radially-extending flange portion.

In some configurations, the housing may include a proximal end and adistal end. The radially-extending flange portion may be disposedbetween the proximal and distal ends.

In some configurations, the fuel door may include an annular lipoperable to engage the door seal.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a fuel doorassembly for a motor vehicle is provided. The fuel door assembly mayinclude a housing, a fuel door and a door seal. The fuel door may behingedly supported by the housing between an open position and a closedposition, and may include an annular lip. The door seal may be supportedby the housing, and may be operable to engage the annular lip when thefuel door is in the closed position.

In some configurations, the annular lip may include a radially inwardlyfacing surface. The door seal may engage the radially inwardly facingsurface when the fuel door is in the closed position.

In some configurations, the housing may include a radially outwardlyfacing surface. The door seal may be coupled to the radially outwardlyfacing surface.

In some configurations, the housing may include a radially-extendingflange portion.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a fueldoor assembly for a motor vehicle is provided. The fuel door assemblymay include a housing, a fuel door and a door seal. The fuel door may behingedly supported by the housing between an open position and a closedposition. The fuel door may include a radially-extending surface and aradially inwardly facing surface. The door seal may be supported by thehousing and may be operable to engage the radially-extending surface andthe radially inwardly facing surface when the fuel door is in the closedposition.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the descriptionprovided herein. The description and specific examples in this summaryare intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended tolimit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only ofselected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are notintended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fuel door assembly in accordance withthe principles of the present disclosure, the fuel door assembly shownin a first or open position;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of the fueldoor assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the fuel door assembly of FIG. 1,the fuel door assembly shown in a second or closed position;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of the fueldoor assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another fuel door assembly in accordancewith the principles of the present disclosure, the fuel door assemblyshown in a first or open position;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of the fueldoor assembly of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the fuel door assembly of FIG. 5,the fuel door assembly shown in a second or closed position; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of the fueldoor assembly of FIG. 5;

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings. Example embodiments are provided so that thisdisclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to thosewho are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth suchas examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide athorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It willbe apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need notbe employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many differentforms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of thedisclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes,well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are notdescribed in detail.

With initial reference to FIGS. 1-4, a fuel door assembly constructed inaccordance with the present disclosure is illustrated and identified atreference character 10. The fuel door assembly 10 may be used with anautomobile (not shown) or other similar vehicle having a fuel system(not shown), including a fuel tank (not shown). In this regard, the fueldoor assembly 10 may be used to provide access to, and preventcontamination of, the fuel tank or other portion of the fuel system.

The fuel door assembly 10 may include a housing subassembly 20 and adoor subassembly 22. The door subassembly 22 may be hingedly mountedrelative to the housing subassembly 20, such that the door subassembly22 provides access to the housing subassembly 20 in a first or openposition (FIG. 1), and prevents access to the housing subassembly in asecond or closed position (FIG. 3). The housing subassembly 20 mayinclude a housing 24, a first or door seal 26 and a second or body seal28. The housing 24 may define an inner chamber 32. In an assembledconfiguration, the housing 24 may be coupled to a body portion 34 of thevehicle, such that the inner chamber 32 provides access to the fueltank. In this regard, as illustrated in at least FIG. 3, the bodyportion 34 may include an aperture or opening 36. The housing 24 may bedisposed within the opening 36 such that the inner chamber 32 canprovide access to the fuel tank.

The housing 24 may include an outer or peripheral wall portion 38, aflange portion 40, and a hinge-receiving portion 42. While the wall,flange and hinge-receiving portions 38, 40, 42 are described separatelyherein, it will be appreciated that the wall, flange and hinge-receivingportions 38, 40, 42 may be integrally formed, such that the housing 24is a monolithic construct. With reference to FIG. 2, the wall portion 38may extend from a proximal end 44 to a distal end 46, and may include aninner surface 48 at least partially surrounding the inner chamber 32, anouter surface 50 generally facing the body portion 34 of the vehicle,and a chamfered surface 52 (FIG. 3). With reference to FIG. 3, the outersurface 50 may define a first outer diameter D1 of the housing 24. Thechamfered surface 52 may extend from and between the distal end 46 andthe outer surface 50 of the housing 24. In this regard, the chamferedsurface 52 may extend about the periphery of the housing 24.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the flange portion 40 may be supportedby, and extend radially outwardly from, the outer surface 50 of thehousing 24. In this regard, the flange portion 40 may be disposedbetween the proximal and distal ends 44, 46 of the wall portion 38, suchthat, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the flange portion 40 may separate theouter surface 50 into a first or proximal portion 54 and a second ordistal portion 55. The flange portion 40 may extend about the peripheryof the housing 24 and may include a distal end 56. The distal end 56 mayface radially outwardly. The distal end 56 may define a second outerdiameter D2 of the housing 24, greater than the first outer diameter D1.As illustrated in FIG. 4, in an assembled configuration, the housing 24may be disposed within the opening 36 of the body portion 34 such thatthe flange portion 40 is supported by or coupled to a radially extendingouter surface 60 of the body portion 34.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the hinge-receiving portion 42 of thehousing 24 may extend radially outwardly from the wall portion 38. Inthis regard, the hinge-receiving portion 42 may define a radiallyoutwardly extending chamber 64 in fluid communication with the innerchamber 32 of the housing 24.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the door seal 26 may include a proximaledge 68 and a distal edge 70. The door seal 26 may define a generallyarcuate cross-sectional shape extending from the proximal edge 68 to thedistal edge 70 when the door subassembly 22 is in the open position. Inthis regard, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, the door seal 26 may include agenerally convex outer surface 72 extending from and between theproximal and distal edges 68, 70, such that the door seal 26 includes asubstantially U- or C-shaped cross-sectional shape. With reference toFIG. 3, the distal edge 70 of the door seal 26 may define a third outerdiameter D3 that is greater than the first outer diameter D1 of thehousing 24 and less than the second outer diameter D2 of the housing 24.

The proximal edge 68 of the door seal 26 may be coupled to, or otherwisesupported by, at least one of the distal end 46, the outer surface 50,and/or the chamfered surface 52 of the wall portion 38. As illustratedin FIGS. 3 and 44, in some configurations the proximal edge 68 of thedoor seal 26 is supported by the chamfered surface 52 of the wallportion 38, such that a proximal portion of the outer surface 72 of thedoor seal 26 faces, or is otherwise inclined, radially inwardly towardthe chamber 32, and a distal portion of the outer surface 72 faces, oris otherwise inclined radially outwardly away from the chamber 32. Asillustrated in FIG. 1, the door seal 26 may extend from a first end 76to a second end 78 about the periphery of the wall portion 38. In someconfigurations, the first end 76 and the second end 78 may define aperipherally extending void or gap 80 therebetween. In the assembledconfiguration, the gap 80 may be disposed at the bottom (relative to theview in FIG. 1) of the housing 24.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the body seal 28 may include a proximalportion 84 and a distal portion 86. The proximal and distal portions 84,86 may define a generally L-shaped cross section. In this regard, in theassembled configuration, the proximal portion 84 may include an axiallyextending portion, and the distal portion 86 may include a radiallyextending portion. The proximal portion 84 of the body seal 28 may becoupled, to or otherwise supported by, the flange portion 40 of thehousing 24, such that the distal portion 86 extends radially outwardlyfrom the flange portion 40. In some configurations, the proximal portion84 may be coupled to the distal end 56 of the flange portion 40. Asillustrated in FIG. 3, the body seal 28 may extend about the peripheryof the wall portion 38 of the housing 24, such that the distal portion86 includes a fourth outer diameter D4 that is greater than the first,second and third outer diameters D1, D2 and D3. Accordingly, asillustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the assembled configuration, the distalportion 86 may engage an axially extending surface 88 of the bodyportion 34 of the vehicle to provide at least one peripheral orsurrounding seal between the housing 24 and the body portion 34. In someconfigurations, the proximal portion 84 of the body seal 28 may engagethe radially extending outer surface 60 of the body portion 34 toprovide another peripheral or surrounding seal between the housing 24and the body portion 34.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the door subassembly 22 may include a hingeassembly or member 90 and a fuel door 92. The hinge member 90 mayinclude a proximal portion 94 coupled to the housing 24, and a distalportion 96 coupled to the door 92. In this regard, the proximal portion94 may be coupled to the hinge-receiving portion 42 of the housing 24,such that the proximal portion 94 is disposed within the chamber 64 whenthe door subassembly 22 is in the closed position, and such that theproximal portion 94 extends from the chamber 64 when the doorsubassembly 22 in the open position.

The fuel door 92 may include an inner or sealing surface 100 having afifth outer diameter D5 (FIG. 3). The fifth outer diameter D5 may begreater than the third outer diameter D3 of the door seal 26 and thesecond outer diameter D2 of the housing 24. In some configurations, thesealing surface 100 may be substantially planar. With reference to FIG.3, when the door subassembly 22 is in the closed position, a normal 104to the chamfered surface 52 of the housing 24 may define an angle α withthe sealing surface 100. The angle α may be between ten degrees andeighty degrees. In some configurations, the angle α may be substantiallyequal to forty-five degrees. In other configurations, when the doorsubassembly 22 is in the closed position, a proximal portion 106 of thedoor seal 26 may define an angle β with the sealing surface 100, and adistal portion 108 of the door seal 26 may define an angle σ with thesealing surface 100. The angle β may be between ten degrees and eightydegrees, and the angle σ may be between one hundred degrees and onehundred seventy degrees. The angles α, β and/or σ, as well as thearcuate configuration (e.g., convex outer surface 72) of the door seal26 between the proximal and distal edges 68, 70 may help to maintainand/or improve the integrity of the sealing engagement between the doorseal 26 and the fuel door 92.

With reference to FIGS. 5-8, another fuel door assembly 10 a isprovided. The structure and function of the fuel door assembly 10 a maybe similar or identical to the structure and function of the fuel doorassembly 10 described above, apart from any exceptions described belowand/or shown in the figures. Accordingly, similar features will not bedescribed again in detail. Like reference numerals are used hereinafterand in the drawings to identify like components, while like referencenumerals containing letter extensions are used to identify thosecomponents that have been modified.

The fuel door assembly 10 a may include a housing subassembly 20 a and adoor subassembly 22 a. The housing subassembly 20 a may include ahousing 24 a, a door seal 26 a, and the body seal 28. The housing 24 amay include a wall portion 38 a extending from a proximal end 44 a to adistal end 46 a, and an outer surface 50 a generally facing the bodyportion 34 of the vehicle. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the outer surface50 a may define a first outer diameter D1 a of the housing 24 a.

With reference to at least FIGS. 7 and 8, the door seal 26 a may includea proximal edge 68 a and a distal edge 70 a. The proximal edge 68 a ofthe door seal 26 a may be coupled to, or otherwise supported by, thedistal end 46 a and/or the outer surface 50 a of the wall portion 38 a,such that the door seal 26 a extends radially outwardly. As illustratedin FIG. 8, the distal edge 70 a of the door seal 26 a may define a thirdouter diameter D3 a.

The door subassembly 22 a may include the hinge member 90 and a fueldoor 92 a. The fuel door 92 a may include a radially extending portion110 and an annular lip or flange portion 112. With reference to FIG. 7,the radially extending portion 110 may include a radially extendingsealing surface 100 a having a fifth outer diameter D5 a. The fifthouter diameter D5 a may be greater than the second outer diameter D2 aof the housing 24 a and less than the third outer diameter D3 a of thedoor seal 26 a. In some configurations, the sealing surface 100 a may besubstantially planar. The flange portion 112 may extend axially from theradially extending portion 110. In this regard, the flange portion 112may extend axially inward, such that the flange portion 112 overlaps thedistal end 46 a of the housing 24 a when the fuel door subassembly 22 ais in the closed position. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the flange portion112 may include a second sealing surface 114 having a sixth outerdiameter D6 a. The sixth outer diameter D6 a may be greater than thesecond outer diameter D2 a of the housing 24 a and less than the thirdouter diameter D3 a of the door seal 26 a. The second sealing surface114 may extend axially from the portion 110, such that the secondsealing surface 114 generally faces the outer surface 50 a of thehousing 24 a when the fuel door subassembly 22 a is in the closedposition.

When the fuel door subassembly 22 a is in the closed position, the doorseal 26 a may contact and provide a sealing engagement between at leastone of the sealing surface 100 a and the sealing surface 114.Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 7, when the door subassembly 22 a isin the closed position, the door seal 26 a may define a generallyarcuate cross-sectional shape extending from the proximal edge 68 a tothe distal edge 70 a. In this regard, when the door assembly 22 a is inthe closed position, the door seal 26 a may include a generally convexouter surface 72 a extending from and between the proximal and distaledges 68 a, 70 a.

The flange portion 112, as well as the diameters D2 a, D3 a and D6 a ofthe housing 24 a, the door seal 26 a and the sealing surface 114,respectively, may help to maintain and/or improve the integrity of thesealing engagement between the door seal 26 a and the fuel door 92 a.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided forpurposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or featuresof a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particularembodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be usedin a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described.The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to beregarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modificationsare intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularexample embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As usedherein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and“having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of statedfeatures, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, butdo not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groupsthereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described hereinare not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance inthe particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specificallyidentified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood thatadditional or alternative steps may be employed.

When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,”“connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may bedirectly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element orlayer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast,when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engagedto,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another elementor layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Otherwords used to describe the relationship between elements should beinterpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directlybetween,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein,the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more ofthe associated listed items.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein todescribe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections,these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should notbe limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguishone element, component, region, layer or section from another region,layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numericalterms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearlyindicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region,layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element,component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachingsof the example embodiments.

Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,”“lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatiallyrelative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations ofthe device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depictedin the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turnedover, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements orfeatures would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features.Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation ofabove and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptorsused herein interpreted accordingly.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fuel door assembly for a motor vehicle, thefuel door assembly comprising: a housing; a fuel door hingedly supportedby the housing for rotation between an open position and a closedposition; and a door seal having a proximal edge supported by thehousing and a distal edge separated from the housing, the door sealincluding an arcuate shape extending from the proximal edge to thedistal edge when the fuel door is in the open position.
 2. The fuel doorassembly of claim 1, wherein the door seal includes a convex surfacefacing the fuel door when the fuel door is in the open position.
 3. Thefuel door assembly of claim 2, wherein the convex surface is operable toengage an inner surface of the fuel door when the fuel door is in theclosed position.
 4. The fuel door assembly of claim 1, wherein thehousing includes an outer wall, a distal end, and a chamfered surfaceextending from and between the outer wall and the distal end, andwherein the proximal edge of the door seal is coupled to the chamferedsurface of the housing.
 5. The fuel door assembly of claim 4, wherein anormal to the chamfered surface defines an angle with the inner surfaceof the fuel door when the fuel door is in a closed position.
 6. The fueldoor assembly of claim 5, wherein the angle is between ten degrees andeighty degrees.
 7. The fuel door assembly of claim 6, wherein the angleis substantially equal to forty-five degrees.
 8. The fuel door assemblyof claim 1, wherein the housing includes a radially-extending flangeportion.
 9. The fuel door assembly of claim 8, further comprising a bodyseal supported by the radially-extending flange portion.
 10. The fueldoor assembly of claim 9, wherein the housing includes a proximal endand a distal end, and wherein the radially-extending flange portion isdisposed between the proximal and distal ends.
 11. The fuel doorassembly of claim 1, wherein the fuel door includes an annular lipoperable to engage the door seal.
 12. A fuel door assembly for a motorvehicle, the fuel door assembly comprising: a housing; a fuel doorhingedly supported by the housing between an open position and a closedposition, the fuel door including an annular lip; and a door sealsupported by the housing, the door seal operable to engage the annularlip when the fuel door is in the closed position.
 13. The fuel doorassembly of claim 12, wherein the annular lip includes a radiallyinwardly facing surface, and wherein the door seal engages the radiallyinwardly facing surface when the fuel door is in the closed position.14. The fuel door assembly of claim 12, wherein the housing includes aradially outwardly facing surface, and wherein the door seal is coupledto the radially outwardly facing surface.
 15. The fuel door assembly ofclaim 12, wherein the housing includes a radially-extending flangeportion.
 16. The fuel door assembly of claim 15, further comprising abody seal supported by the radially-extending flange portion.
 17. Thefuel door assembly of claim 16, wherein the housing includes a proximalend and a distal end, and wherein the radially-extending flange portionis disposed between the proximal and distal ends.
 18. A fuel doorassembly for a motor vehicle, the fuel door assembly comprising: ahousing; a fuel door hingedly supported by the housing between an openposition and a closed position, the fuel door radially-extending surfaceand a radially inwardly facing surface; and a door seal supported by thehousing, the door seal operable to engage the radially-extending surfaceand the radially inwardly facing surface when the fuel door is in theclosed position.
 19. The fuel door assembly of claim 19, wherein thehousing includes an outer wall, a distal end, and a chamfered surfaceextending from and between the outer wall and the distal end, andwherein the door seal is coupled to the chamfered surface of thehousing.
 20. The fuel door assembly of claim 19, wherein a normal to thechamfered surface defines an angle with the radially-extending surfaceof the fuel door when the fuel door is in a closed position, and whereinthe angle is between ten degrees and eighty degrees.